Amazon’s Cannabis Policy applies retrospectively – previously rejected applicants are now eligible for jobs

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

Amazon announced Tuesday that its earlier decision to end drug testing for cannabis will be retroactive, meaning that former workers and applicants who have been fined or rejected for a positive THC test will be restored to employability, various news outlets reported.

Amazon also announced Tuesday that it would use Congress to legalize cannabis at the federal level to promote fair hiring practices.

Photo by Mark Makela / Getty Images

In a blog post on Tuesday, Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of human resources, said the company has “restored eligibility to former employees and applicants previously terminated or deferred from random or pre-hiring marijuana screenings “.

According to Galetti’s Post, Amazon recognizes that an increasing number of states are moving to some degree of cannabis legalization, making it difficult to put in place a fair, consistent, and national marijuana testing program before retirement. Publicly available national data shows that pre-employment marijuana testing disproportionately affects people of color and acts as a barrier to employment.

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“Pre-hiring marijuana testing has disproportionately affected color communities by hampering job placement and, therefore, economic growth, and we believe this unfair treatment is unacceptable,” said Galetti.

The advance

In June, the company endorsed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act) and announced that it would end testing for cannabis use in most positions. In September, Amazon began urging its delivery partners to stop screening applicants for marijuana use in an effort to address the company’s lack of delivery drivers, although the company will continue to have no tolerance for work with impairments.

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Steven Hawkins, CEO of US Cannabis Council, pointed out that if a drug testing policy is changed that affects over a million Americans, it will be a signal.

Amazon is not alone in abolishing cannabis screening. From the corporate world to professional athletics, large organizations are significantly shifting or removing testing or sanctions for cannabis, Hawkins told Benzinga.

“The unprecedented labor shortage is making it difficult for employers to find workers to fill the positions, and employers who hit the moment with smart, modern hiring policies can win the most,” added Hawkins.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.